Golez: Con-Ass Resolution 1109 is dead

From Journal:


Golez: Cha-cha dead
By: Raul S. Beltran
A STAUNCH opponent of a House measure seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution is predicting that the move will not prosper despite its approval on Tuesday by congressmen, many of them expecting to extend their terms beyond 2010. Rep. Roilo Golez (Ind., Parañaque City), who is totally against House Resolution No. 1109 seeking to convene Congress into a constituent assembly, said the move “reached a dead end on birth” right after the House passed the measure by viva voce voting. Golez argued that the Senate will not “move” because it is totally against the resolution which, critics contend, is really aimed at extending the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which will end next year. Golez said that even if the House convenes itself into a constituent assembly, the move will not also prosper because the House minority, of which he is a senior deputy leader, will not participate. “The minority would most likely boycott it. We would not want to be associated with a sham session,” the congressman said in a text message. The lawmaker said the amendments to the Constitution to be produced by the proposed assembly will not be realized because such changes will still have to be submitted to a plebiscite to be conducted by the Commission on Elections. He explained that a plebiscite cannot be simply conducted without the corresponding appropriation that could only be approved through a law that has to be enacted with the concurrence of the Senate. “Without a law, the Comelec cannot act and that law requires Senate approval which it will never get,” Golez said. So it is back to square one.” “When the House approved House Resolution 1109, it was like sending it to outer space, there to orbit to eternity, never to return to earth,” according to Golez’s text message. This developed as Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. and KAMPI Representatives Amado Bagatsing (Manila) and Roger Mercado (Leyte) continued their defense of the House approval of the controversial measure, which led a bitter critic of President Arroyo to threaten to hold a mammoth rally to oppose the planned convening of a constituent assembly. Nograles said the threat of religious leader Eddie Villanueva, who claimed he could call on his group Jesus is the Lord Movement and its coalition-members with “more than five million members” to lead the protest against the plan, is most welcome provided it will be peaceful. He also hinted that such gatherings, which normally attract live media coverage, could earn extra mileage for Villanueva, who ran but lost for president in the 2004 elections.